Michigan Roadside Attractions: Second Street Bridge in Allegan

Those interested in transportation history will find an engineering landmark in downtown Allegan, where a wrought-iron truss bridge spans the Kalamazoo River. Built in 1886, this bridge is now a Michigan historical landmark as well as a national historic landmark. It is open to two-way traffic, as a light ensure that only one direction of traffic crosses this one-lane bridge at a time. There is a small park on one end of the bridge, and on the opposite side of Second Street there you can find a plaque showcasing the historical significance of the bridge to this area.

This simply ornamented wrought-iron bridge was built in 1886. It replaced an earlier wooden one that had begun to fall into disrepair . Designed by the King Iron Bridge Manufacturing Company of Cleveland Ohio the double-intersection Pratt truss bridge was completed at a cost of $7,532.25 Eighteen feet wide and spanning 225 feet of the Kalamazoo River it is one of the largest extant bridges designed by the firm. Following battle by city officials and local citizens to save the bridge from demolition, it was restored a cost of $552,000 in 1983. The bridge was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.